CRESTVIEW — Historical re-enactor James Moore — portraying Rep. William Mapoles, who is credited with founding Okaloosa County — explained, in period clothes, Okaloosa’s origin during Crestview’s centennial celebration today on the Okaloosa Courthouse lawn.
“Let’s look back and understand that when I got elected as a representative from Walton County in 1913, my constituents came to me and told me of a serious problem,” he said.
“You see, (with) the configuration of Walton County and Santa Rosa, it was hard for them to get to the courthouse. You see, if you lived down in Camp Walton, and you needed to go to the courthouse, it was a series of difficult problems.”
Mapoles, a Laurel Hill newspaperman, tried to sway fellow legislators to create a new county, historian N. Allen Robinson wrote in a series of 1975 Okaloosa Consumer Bulletin articles.
With Walton and Holmes counties Sen. B.H. Lindsay’s backing, and a provision that voters in the affected area gave it their blessing at the polls, Mapoles’ bill passed on June 3, 1915.
On Sept. 11, 1915, it was up to the voters and, with a 4-1 margin in Walton County, and 2-1 in Santa Rosa, voters gave themselves a new county.
Approximately 200 people listened to speakers including Mayor David Cadle, Main Street Crestview Association representative Pat Hollarn, Gaetz, County Commissioners Wayne Harris, Nathan Boyles and Carolyn Ketchel, Judge Michael Flowers and historical re-enactor James Moore, among others.
Among those attending the celebration included Circuit Judge Terry Ketchel, Sen. Greg Evers, County Commissioner Trey Goodwin, Crestview’s city councilmen and numerous city and county employees, and local law enforcement.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: CRESTVIEW CENTENNIAL: Historical re-enactor takes audience back in time (VIDEO)